2016 Buick Envision Problems: 6 Known Issues

On the 2016-2019 Buick Envision LTG 2.0L Turbo, on Gen1 2.0T Envisions, frequent short-trip driving lets excess fuel collect in the crankcase. Owners find the oil level rising above the full mark, a strong gasoline smell in the oil, and a rich-running check engine light. GM addressed it with TSB 18-NA-246, which pairs a PCV valve replacement and oil change with an ECM recalibration. Left alone, the diluted oil loses viscosity and accelerates bearing and timing-chain wear.

On the 2016-2020 Buick Envision LTG 2.0L Turbo, the 2.0L LTG turbo's air-to-air charge air cooler collects condensate in its lower core. After long drives in rain or high humidity (heavy fog), a hard throttle application can draw the accumulated water into the engine, causing a sudden multi-cylinder misfire (P0300) and a stumble; in cold weather the moisture can freeze inside the cooler, restricting flow and setting underboost codes P0299/P2227. GM issued TSB 18-NA-020 with a charge air cooler replacement procedure specifically for moisture-related MIL complaints. This affects only the turbocharged LTG cars, not the naturally aspirated 2.5L LCV.

On the 2016-2020 Buick Envision, envision owners report the steering going completely heavy or the wheel effectively locking, sometimes at highway speed during a merge and sometimes on the restart phase of the auto stop/start cycle. One NHTSA complaint describes total loss of assist lasting about five minutes that only cleared after an engine restart; another describes needing extreme force to regain control at 50 mph. GM TSB 17-NA-340 covers power steering service messages with loss of assist and DTC C056E-5A, and attributes it to the Smooth Road Shake Compensation algorithm in the power steering module software rather than a mechanical rack failure.

On the 2016-2018 Buick Envision, gen1 Envisions have a cluster of NHTSA complaints describing a front flexible brake hose splitting or rupturing, dumping fluid and producing an instant loss of braking with the pedal falling to the floor. The left front hose is the most frequently reported location, with the right front and master cylinder connections also cited. At least one complaint attributes the failure to the spring hardware chafing the rubber hose section. Reported failures range up to about 79,000 miles and typically arrive with no warning light beforehand.

On the 2016-2020 Buick Envision, a recurring Gen1 electrical failure: the instrument cluster, radio and shifter illumination go completely dark for 5-20 seconds while the vehicle is moving, then come back on their own. NHTSA reports for the 2017 describe the display going 'very dim and sometimes completely out' during reversing, which also kills the backup camera and the rear cross-traffic warnings. Some owners report the blackout coinciding with brake and steering anomalies, suggesting a shared power/ground or body control module fault rather than an isolated cluster defect. Reports span roughly 200 to 90,000 miles with a heavy cluster between 7,000 and 50,000.

On the 2016-2018 Buick Envision, early Envisions develop a pronounced front-end shake or shimmy when pulling away from a stop, typically fading by about 15 mph. Owners report it from nearly new (some at delivery mileage) and dealers frequently misdiagnosed it as tires, alignment or the steering rack - one owner had the entire steering rack replaced with no change. The actual cause was traced to the front half shafts, and GM released TSB 18-NA-233 calling for replacement of both front half shafts, which resolved the complaint after nearly two years of failed repairs for at least one documented owner.